Kalo mina! It’s no longer national rose month, but hey, you can still enjoy my post on how different artists have interpreted the rose.
The one about is by Piet Mondrian — the guy known for neo-plasticism, you know: white background with a grid occasionally colored in with primary colors.
You might also enjoy my other posts on roses:
Chloris and the Greek Myth of the Rose
Mighty Aphrodite: Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial
January 1 marked the anniversary of my blog! Thank you all for your support and encouragement of my writing and blogging. It means so much to me that you take the time to read and comment on my blog entries.
I just reviewed a report of my year in blogging, and it’s been a good year!
Here’s a recap of my most viewed posts of 2012:
Notice anything interesting? They all have to do with Greece, and four out of five of them have to do with Greek beauty and fashion. Despite the fact that most of my blogging efforts this past year were about Jack Kerouac, not a single Kerouac-related entry made it into the top 5.
Two out of the above-mentioned blog posts didn’t receive any comments, despite being popular views. My most commented on post of the year was:
That just goes to show you that comments and views aren’t necessarily correlated.
What were your favorite posts from 2012?
Whether you’re giving a Greek American a taste of their homeland when they can’t make it back for the holidays or satiating a Hellenophile’s interest in Greek culture, there are countless foods, books, beauty products, and jewelry that will suit your needs. Plus, select a gift made in Greece and you’ll also be supporting the struggling Greek economy. Here’s just a small selection of Greek gift ideas, some made in the States, some in Greece, and others elsewhere, but all unique and lovely.
Gifts for the Greek food lover:::
Kokkari: Contemporary Greek Flavors by Janet Fletcher
How to Roast a Lamb: New Greek Classic Cooking by Michael Psilakis
A selection of delicious dressings and marinades from Sophia’s Gourmet Foods
A selection of three different flavors of honey from Odysea Shop
Traditional Greek preserves (rose petal and pergamot) by Monastiri
Bonus tip! – Gifts appear so much nicer when they come as a set. You may want to give a cookbook with some Greek spices. A duo or trio of a certain type of product (such as honey or olive oil) is a great way for the recipient to try out a few flavors. Or, you may want to give a gift basket of assorted Greek candies.
Gifts for someone who loves Greek literature:::
Antigonick by Sophocles, translated by Anne Carson, illustrations by Bianca Stone
The Greek Poets: Homer to Present by Peter Constantine
The Odyssey: A Pop-up Book by Sam Ita
Holidays on Ice by David Sederis
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor
Subscription to Greek America Magazine
Bonus tip! – Trying pairing the book with a book light, a notebook and pen, a bookmark with a quote by a Greek philosopher, or a coffee mug (maybe even with a bag of Greek coffee).
Gifts to make someone feel like a beautiful and pampered Greek goddess:::
Beauty products from Korres. I would especially recommend Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. You can read my review here.
Olive oil body lotion by Olivia
Jewelry by Konstantino
Bonus tip! – Include a lovely handwritten letter. A bottle of Greek wine (here’s my review of the Greek American wine Pindar) or some fine Greek chocolates (here’s my review of the Greek American chocolatier Chocolate Moderne) would also make someone feel loved and pampered.
As the Greek proverb says, “A gift, though small, is welcome.”
The Greek myth of the rose is one of my favorites.
Chloris, the goddess of the flowers, was in the forest one day when she tripped over a beautiful nymph lying lifeless. Chloris was so overcome by the nymph’s fate that she reached out to the other gods to transform her into a flower.
Aphrodite gave her beauty.
Dionysus, the god of wine, gave her nectar for a sweet-smelling fragrance.
The three Graces—the Charites known as Thalia, Euphrosyne, and Aglaea—gave her charm, joy, and brilliance or splendor.
When I was a little girl, my father used to surprise me with roses. Most of the gardening my father did was of a practical nature: cucumber and tomato plants, the occasional “karpouzi” (watermelon) if the raccoons didn’t get to it first (they always got to it first). He had grown up on a farm in Greece, and gardening was not a hobby so much as a way of life and a means toward putting food on the table. There were very few flowers in our garden in New Jersey.
In our backyard, there was a tattered fence that separated our yard from a little brook. It was here that he planted roses. In the spring, the thorny bushes climbed up the fence in a tangled mess. Then one summer morning, while I was still asleep, they bloomed pink, yellow, white, and red, opening their petals up to the blue, blue sky. My father would cut these beautiful roses and present them to me. He told me I was a delicate flower.
I’ve been swirling in these memories of my father out in the garden, as I’ve been writing my memoir.
I’m in love with all the flowers that are blooming around the city right now. Seeing delicate flowers push out of the ground and bloom in spite of in this concrete jungle inspires me. It shows that even here in New York City, where you have to push for a spot on the subway and climb five flights of stairs to your overpriced, walk-up apartment, you can be tough and beautiful. It’s like wearing a flower-print dress and a leather jacket. Or like dark chocolate with rose hips. It’s like having a fancy picnic in the shadow of skyscrapers in Central Park. It’s like a wild rose.
Writing and editing around the clock, I haven’t exactly been getting a lot of sleep lately. That’s the plight of a modern New York woman, though, isn’t it? Sacrificing sleep to follow one’s passion. I’m finally stepping out from behind my computer screen, to give a reading, though, and I don’t want to actually look like I’ve been burning the midnight oil. I want to look picture-ready for my reading and graduation. This is a time to celebrate!
I was so excited to discover Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial. It uses wild rose oil to give a natural, healthy glow to skin. It’s facial in a jar! That means saving the time of actually going to the dermatologist or beautician to get a facial. Just put it on before you go to sleep and wake up the next morning moisturized and radiant. When Korres offered to send me the Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial, I was so happy because they’re one of my favorite Greek beauty companies. Founded out of Athens’ oldest homeopathic pharmacies, Korres creates products that are natural and certified organic. The Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial doesn’t contain parabens, synthetic dye, or animal by-products and is not tested on animals. Korres’ Greek homeopathic roots and the company’s commitment to both beauty and environmentalism make Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial is indulgence one can feel good about!
After a long day of editing, a dinner meeting, and attending a reading, I was more than ready for bed by the time I got home the other night. I felt so indulgent as I applied The Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial for the first time. It smelled heavenly. The facial is made with a fragrance, but it doesn’t smell overwhelmingly of rose. More so, it has the intoxicating fragrance of beauty and sophistication. It’s a bit powdery and old-fashioned, a luxurious aroma that drifted me off to sweet dreams. Even though I have sensitive skin, the perfume did not irritate my skin. Wild rose extract (Rose canina) is a natural source of Vitamin C, and so it actually soothes skin.
The Korres sleeping facial is made from a traditional recipe of Vitamin E, soybean oil, rosemary leaf extract, rose hip oil, and jojoba oil. A clinical study showed that 100% of subjects who used Korres Wild Rose + Vitamin C Advanced Brightening Sleeping Facial had “improvements in skin’s moisture levels and texture” and “visible reduction in appearance of expression lines.” Meanwhile, 84% saw “improved skin radiance” and 78% “had visibly improved skin smoothness.” If you ever read the fine print of beauty and skincare products, you know that those are pretty astounding statistics.
In Greek mythology, roses were actually white until the goddess Aphrodite was pricked by a rose when she was hurrying to save her protege, Adonis, and her blood stained the white rose petals red. Women have been rushing about since ancient times. Hey, we’ve got proteges to look after! But sometimes we need to slow down, indulge in an impromptu picnic in the park, and take care of ourselves.
Stephanie Nikolopoulos is a writer, editor, writing teacher, and speaker based in New York City.
She is the coauthor, with Paul Maher Jr., of "Burning Furiously Beautiful: The True Story of Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road.'"
You can email her at stephanie_701 {@} yahoo.com
Stephanie Nikolopoulos 